The Rose and The Thorn
by LadyEowyn23
Summary: Aria thought she was headed for fame and fortune in New York but her journey is waylaid in the tiny town of Rose Haven. She takes a job at the old Opera house but soon becomes involved in an adventure beyond her wildest dreams.
1. Rose Haven

Disclaimer: I do not own The Phantom of the Opera- songs or characters belong to Gaston Leroux and Andrew Lloyd Weber. Other songs belong to Haley Westenra

**A/N This fic was inspired by a Phantom dream I had and the small town I now live in. Please read and review. **

Fog wreathed the street lamps with glowing halos as I stepped down off the old Greyhound with one suitcase in hand. The bus rumbled away coughing exhaust in my direction leaving me alone on the dark street in a puddle of light. I had big dreams, or I once did. I was going to get to New York to have a career in theater. But now here I was, the end of the line in Rose Haven, a town so small it wasn't on the map crunched up in my jacket pocket. I looked up and down the fog-shrouded street. Seemed like a quaint town. There was a church of grey stone its bell tower rising toward the moon. Small shops with pinstriped awnings lined the street along with rows of saplings strung with tiny white lights. A fountain in the town square sat in front of a large brick building. A hotel? I wondered. I clutched my suitcase and slung my backpack over my shoulder. I didn't have much money left but perhaps I could get a room.

I walked down the deserted street, not a soul in sight. In fact I hadn't seen anyone since stepping off that bus. My footsteps echoed on the cobblestone walk. A three-tiered fountain sat in the alcove heading up a path that wound back to the big building. Water trickled out with a delicate sound catching the light of the street lamps. A playful breeze teased the strands of hair that had come loose from my ponytail carrying the soft, alluring scent of roses from further down the path. The brick structure was drenched in shadow but upon approaching I discovered that it wasn't a hotel but a theatre, a playhouse. It was unlike any I had seen before with gothic arched windows and a tower that soared to the night sky. The masks of tragedy and comedy stared down at me from above large double leaved doors bound in iron with filigree on the hinges. The eyeless faces seemed to loom out of the dark and leer at me. The windows had colored glass in them with designs of climbing roses. This place looked more like a mansion or a cathedral than a theatre. I sat on the edge of the fountain where the water hadn't left its mark, the blue and with tile gleamed in moonlight and the coolness seeped through my jeans. I sighed as the water splashed and played behind me. Okay so it was the middle of the night and I was sitting in the square of a ghost town with no where to go and no money to get anywhere with. So for the moment I basked in the summer night floating with the scent of roses.

Then I heard it, soft strains of music as if from far away. I stood up. I thought at first that I was imagining it. I stepped away from the gurgle of the fountain and walked slowly toward the theatre. Light flickered in the stained glass. I heard the mournful sound of a lone violin then in answer the chords of an organ. Someone was here! What luck. I grabbed my suitcase and walked down the path. The crowd of roses nodded their full blown heads as if acknowledging my passage sending the delicate scent swirling around me. As I approached the huge doors I heard the music. It was no tune I recognized but was haunting and beautiful and part of me was saddened by it. The violin notes faded away and the chords of the organ played on for a second longer before it too was silenced. I lifted my hand to rap on the door when, with a clank and a groan, it was opened abruptly. I stood there, fist upraised, as I took in the figure on the stoop before me.


	2. I bid thee welcome

**Disclaimer: I don't own the Phantom in any way, shape or form. (or Gerry Butler for that matter, **_**dreamy sigh**_**) Songs belong to Andrew Lloyd Weber and Haley Westenra.**

**A/N Thank you PhantomLover07 for reviewing! This story is inspired by the movie version and the little town I now live in. **

There was an elderly woman on the stoop before me. Her white hair was pulled onto a bun and it caught the light like a halo. She had one white rose tucked in the snowy strands. She was dressed in vivid violet with lace at the cuffs and a pair of tiny, gold-rimmed spectacles balanced on her delicate nose and her large blue eyes looked at me and twinkled. "Well m'dear, aren't you a sight standin' out there this time o'night 'neath the light of the moon and smelling of roses." She said with a dancing lilt to her voice that made me think of green hills and thatched cottages.

"Well, I was-"

"You're a traveler by the look o'that valise in your hand m'dear. Looking lost in the night for a place to rest."

"Yes, is there a hotel I-"

"Look no further. Follow me then." She stepped aside and I went in. The walls were painted a rich gold and the ceiling of the entryway was carved plaster and gilded figures hovered around a large crystal chandelier that was lit with candles.

"Excuse me Madame, I have some money for …"

" Oh Pish-posh. You hold onto that bit you have my dear. I have a different idea in mind. Are you handy with a needle at all? I've needed someone to help poor Nellie in keeping up the costumes and fittings. The dear, she's not as young as she used to be." She turned to me and I tore my gaze from the statuettes lining the walls and we went up the stairwell of marble that opened into the main theatre. The room was large with three levels of balconies, the private boxes dripped with gold curtains. The ground level lay before us and the dark wood of the stage was aglow in the warmth of the footlights. The red velvet curtain was closed casting shadows across the empty space. The only other light came from a huge chandelier hung in the center of the painted and gilded ceiling. It was five times the size of the one in the lobby.

"Oh…I'm really just passing through." I said quietly. She just blinked at me waiting for me to answer her question. "Yes, I mean yes I can sew. I used to make my own clothes and made costumes in my college drama class. I'm also handy with a paint brush and have some artistic talent."

"Did set design too did you?"

" I've loved the stage for as long as I can remember. It's just that I am always behind the curtain more often than center stage."

"Hmm. Sometimes the most fascinating, most mysterious things happen behind the scenes in the shadows rather than in that spotlight." She whispered almost more to herself than to me. "So if you're interested here is a job offer. Help Nellie with the costumes for the summer. Be here for the dress rehearsals and all shows, costume malfunctions are inevitable. You will also be of use in other areas as well. I can offer you a room in the tower, used to have dormitories for the ballet back in the day but they are now storerooms. You can stay as long as you need to. Besides the room and board I can offer you a little money on the side for your work."

I considered. A place to stay and a chance to save up the funds to get a ticket out. And getting to work in a fascinating opera house besides. " I would love to. Thank you…?"

" Maeve Ghering, but everyone calls me Madame. Welcome to the Rose and Thorn Opera House my dear. Come I will show you your room." She turned from the lobby and went into a tiny office and pulled a skeleton key with a tattered gold tassel dangling from the end of it out of a desk drawer and walked down a corridor. We emerged on stage. I saw a violin case opened and a music stand held a yellowed handwritten sheet of music. "Oh, that was you playing the violin. That was beautiful! Who was on the organ?"

Madame paused for a moment. "Organ? Sorry my dear, we don't have an organ here, see?" She gestured down at the orchestra pit. A sea of chairs upholstered in red velvet and a forest of empty music stands. "You must have been mistaken. One hears all manner of strange sounds and echoes in an opera house, especially one as old as this. Come along.

I followed her up a shadowy stairwell and into the dark. The stairs creaked beneath us as we ascended to the left of the stage and found another corridor. The carpet was old and fraying and the dark wood of the walls was hung with old paintings. Tapestries graced the walls as well and rippled slightly in a breeze I couldn't feel. Cobwebs were caught in the same draft. "It is a little hard to keep the upper rooms spotless as you can see. Here we are." She slipped the skeleton key into the door and with a small groan the door swung open to reveal a tower room where the ceiling beams were lost in darkness. Several round windows set in the curved walls showed the dark of night outside. One large arched window was set in stained glass depicting red, pink and white climbing roses. A full size bed was covered in a gold duvet and a small, mirrored dresser stood against one wall. A dark tapestry hung by the bed but the light was too dim to see its design. A small fireplace and mantel took up the wall opposite the foot of the bed. This room was cozy and charming despite its being empty for a while.

" The blankets are clean. My granddaughter Meg teaches ballet and she has been keeping this room aired and tries to keep it dust free. The fireplace is safe to use and the lavatory is two doors down the hall."

"Do you live here in the opera house?"

"No, I have a cottage behind the Rose and Thorn just down the path in the trees. There is a kitchen down stairs off the office as well that you can use. But how about you have breakfast with me tomorrow?"

"Thank you, I would love that."

"Here is the garret key and a spare front door key." She handed me two skeleton keys.

" Don't you have a security person, a night guard or something?"

"No. We never have had a need. There has never been a problem with break-ins or vandalism. The Rose and Thorn takes care of itself."

I turned and looked at her but didn't speak. _What does that mean?_ I thought.

"Here leave your case and come have a cup of tea with me before I walk home and call it a night."

I placed my suitcase and backpack by the bed on a little hand woven rug. Madame walked over and crouched in front of the fireplace and began to lay fresh logs on the hearth. I noticed that the firebox was full of wood. This room had been ready. Like it knew someone would have stepped off that bus and would end up here. Like it waited with anticipation. _Don't be ridiculous, I scolded myself. It is just exhaustion talking ,like the organ music I swore I heard earlier._ I went and drooped to my knees beside Madame and together we got a fire going. We placed the fire screen up and I noticed the andiron and implements had rose buds on their handles. _Good things roses are my favorite flower, I thought. Otherwise I'd be sick of them. After all I'd landed in Rose Haven. _ I warmed my hands in the heat from the happy blaze we had started.

"It may be summer but the Opera House is drafty and I'll not have you getting sick." Madame said sternly. We went back down the hall and descended the stairs. After going from the light of the fire and the lamps in the tower the hall was anything but brightly lit to my eyes. Shadows lay in corners and shrouded the eaves in darkness_. Plenty of places to hide, to watch and remain unseen_, I thought_. Goosebumps rippling up my arm. Cut it out. Madame wouldn't leave me here if I were in danger. _But my thoughts didn't dispel the feeling of someone watching me. At the same time I felt welcomed by the Opera house, if such a thing were possible. I scoffed at myself again. _Seriously._

We went through a door in the back of the office and into a little kitchen complete with a tiny stove and fridge. Madame set a battered black kettle on the stove and turned the heat up. Then she took down two delicate and mismatched teacups from a cupboard and a tin of loose tea. She handed me a china cup with tiny pink rosebuds on it and a gilded handle. I noticed the tea was from Bewley's of Dublin. Madam's cup had a single red rose in full bloom painted on the ivory china. Magically she whisked a plate of muffins from somewhere and a crock of butter. I tried to eat slowly and fought the urge to stuff half of the cranberry pastry in my mouth. Wouldn't be very lady like or human like for that matter. Soon enough I had a steaming cup of Irish blend at my elbow and Madame and I sat together in a rather companionable silence considering I'd only met her about an hour ago.

"So my dear girl, what has brought you to out quaint little town?"

"To be honest, the bus!" I laughed. Madame joined in, her laugh danced like her voice did. Her eyes sparkled. "The Rose and Thorn is an interesting name for an opera house Madame."

"Hmm, Yes quite. But in a town called Rose Haven you shouldn't be that surprised. It was the name of an Inn my great- grandfather had in Ballycullaugh County Kerry, the prettiest village in all of Ireland to my mind. Rose Haven was founded in the 1800s and so was this opera house. When my family came over from Ireland we took over and restored this place and bestowed upon it the name of my grandfather's beloved Inn that laid an ocean away. So I raised my children here and now they are raising their children." She said a sad note coming into her voice.

"I didn't mean to pry Madame."

"Oh, don't you mind…good gracious, what is your name child?"

I had completely forgotten that I never gave her my name. "Aria Rose Reynolds."

"Ah, beautiful. Aria –an air or melody. See I knew it was more than a Greyhound bus that brought you here."

Some time later I rinsed out the cups in the sink and helped Madame tidy up. Then she took down a pale green shawl with Celtic knots woven above the fringed edges. "Dear Aria, I am heading home. My number and emergency numbers are by the phone should you need them. Welcome to Rose Haven my dear. Goodnight." She gathered up her violin and headed for the door. "Oh, other thing. Don't be alarmed at the noises you may hear. This is an old place and nothing here will harm you. And I'd stay away from the cellars; they go deep past the foundations. Stories say that there are caverns down there and an underground lake. May you be blessed with a good sleep and peaceful dreams Aria. Lock up behind me."

She shut the heavy door behind her and left. The silence closed around me as I stood bathed in candlelight from the chandelier.


	3. Exploration

Disclaimer: I do not own Phantom of the Opera in any way shape or form, songs, and characters. Only Aria is my own creation.

A/N I humbly beg your pardon for my long absence in updating. You know how life happens and time flies by. I work everyday now and so much is going on during the weekends. But here it is finally another chappie for you to (hopefully) enjoy.

Chapter 3 

Exploration

I stood there almost in a state of bewilderment. "This is the strangest night." I said aloud to myself. My voice filled the silence and was comforting. Akin to leaving the radio on when one is home alone, the reassurance of a human voice. It had all happened so fast. In the span of hours I had a place to stay, a rather fantastic job in my opinion, and a way to save up to continue my journey when the time came.

I recalled the conversation I had with Madame over tea. _" But you don't know me at all. I am a perfect stranger. Not to be ungrateful for this chance, Madame. How do you know you can trust me?"_

_She had laughed then sobered and looked me in the eyes. " Aria, I am a good judge of character. In fact I am never wrong about a person. It is intuitive, a gift from my grandmother and hers before her. We can tell things about a person that they themselves may not know." _

"_What do you know?" I whispered. The teacup warmed my cold fingers. _

" _I know you are on a journey, of course. That you had no qualms about leaving home, in fact you were more than ready a long time ago. You carry pain with you in your eyes and loneliness. You are waiting to find someone to give your heart to, and yet you are afraid of it as well. You want people to take a closer look and discover the real you and not let your past dictate who you are. You want to show that your dreams are worth sharing. You desire friendship and family and a place where you truly belong." Goosebumps had broken out on my arms. " So my dear Aria, worry not over my mental faculties in hiring you on, seemingly in an instant. I am no old fool, after all."_

" _But I never-"_

" _I know that. But trust me that I know just what I am doing. Now stop fussing and accept this opportunity. Do not make me regret it."_

The slam of a door somewhere in the theatre jerked me from my wonderings. Madame's other words ran through my head. _Nothing here will harm you._ What was that supposed to mean? What was here that wasn't a danger to me? Ghosts? The restless spirit of a beautiful soprano who fell to her death when a trapdoor opened up beneath her during a performance? Or that of a stagehand who hung himself between the set curtains and still lingers backstage? "Stop it!" I said aloud. My voice echoed around the theatre. "At this rate I will never sleep." The candlelight danced above me, reflecting on the hundreds of crystal drops, casting rainbows on the walls. The lobby was cast in shadow. I could see the box office behind the glass partition. The computers, screens dark, seemed to squat on the desktops like gremlins hiding in the dark. I turned and locked the main door. The bold slid home with an ominous click that sounded loud in the silence of the lobby. I tried to shake off the feeling of being locked in, trapped. _Nothing here will harm you._

I walked the lobby. The floor was cream marble veined in gold. Pillars supported the gilded ceiling and a gently curving staircase that was carved from dark satiny wood led to the theatre level. It was grand in design and richness. I felt out of place in my comfy blue jeans and my layered tee shirt. I passed Heavy gold frames hung on walls that showcased past performances of opera, plays and ballet. Faust, La Boehme, Carmen, Cinderella, The Tempest, Romeo and Juliet, Swan Lake, The Nutcracker, Gisele. The main auditorium was large, cast partly in shadow and silent. But it was a warm silence, the room seemed to be waiting patiently for the next show. The grand chandelier hung like a diamond in the center of the circular ceiling. Painted figures from Greek mythology surrounded it and huddled in a cloud strewn blue sky. The upper balconies had golden figures of men in place of pillars. It was an opulent and elegant space. The footlights on stage were still blazing.

I found my way backstage and there was a corridor located to the right of the stage. The doors had markers painted upon them. Dressings rooms, prop storage, wardrobe department. One door was painted a deep rose pink and climbing roses were stenciled around the doorway. A name bold in gold letters read _Cara Landry_. This was the leading lady, no doubt about it. As bad as I wanted to see what was behind the Prima Dona's door I kept on down the hall.

I opened a red door with white roses that was labeled Prop Storage. The door opened with a creak and I flicked the light switch. The room was amazing. There were fake trees, a golden pumpkin carriage, angel wings made of white and gold feathers, wizard staff and witch's broomsticks, fairy wands and glass slippers. There were Egyptian pillars and graveyard tombstones, a silver throne, silk rose bushes and plaster statues of slender maidens and warriors, It was a cave of wonders of all shapes and sizes that stirred the imagination and brought a story to life. A chest of pirate treasure sparkled by my feet as I stepped further inside.

Suddenly a crash in the back of the room made me jump. "God! Oh, I hope nothing is broken." I pressed a hand to my heart that was pumping away. I slowly made my way back to where I had heard the commotion praying I wasn't going to find any creatures that had made their way into the opera house, rats or raccoons or the like. There behind a Victorian sofa was a plaster Aphrodite leaning against a wall where a large tapestry hung. I righted the figure and felt cold air waft from behind the hanging. I reached behind it and my fingers grasped open air. I drew my hand back as if something had tried to grab it. I stood for a second and reached out and pulled back the tapestry. All I could see was the wall, no opening, and no place for a breeze to sneak through. " What the…" I said feeling the wall in disbelief. " Huh, I need to get some sleep. First I hear organ music then making up ghost stories, now I'm imagining secret passages that don't exist. Next thing you know I will be jumping at my own shadow." I said to a stuffed leaping tiger to my left. I shut the light off and went back to the stage.

I cut across the stage to get to the upper levels and to my bedroom. I stopped dead at center stage. The chandelier lights and the foot lamps were dimming on their own! I turned and sprinted across the stage and up the stairs taking two at a time. I didn't even slow down as I smacked my knee on the steps. I slammed my door and locked it. I leaned my back against it, my breathing heavy, my heart racing and my knee throbbing. The fire had burned down in the fireplace casting a warm light in the room that was comforting. "Okay, to bed I go. All this sneaking around is doing nothing for my sleep deprivation." _The Rose and Thorn takes care of itself_, Madame had said. "Well, the lights are most likely on a timer. What a wimp I am."

I changed into nightclothes and crawled into bed. Before I turned out the light I took notice of the tapestry that hung on the wall by the bed. It depicted two figures; a woman in classical dress with a rose in her hair was in the arms of a man whose dark robes enveloped her slight frame. His face was masked as he leaned over her and she stared in his eyes. It was a romantic and stirring scene. As I drifted off the sleep, the sound of a pipe organ playing a sorrowful tune ushered me into my dreams.


End file.
